Atlantic Colonies
What was the primary economic concern for residents of Prince Edward Island in the 1850s?
Absentee landlords
Most of the island's land was owned by people living in Britain profiting off the local farmers and workers.
What was 'pemmican' primarily used for?
A long lasting food source
Made from dried meat, fat, and berries, it was ideal for life in Canada.
What led to the rapid spread of diseases like cholera in Toronto and Montreal during the mid-1800s?
Lack of indoor plumbing and sewer systems.
Waste went into street gutters in the working-class neighborhoods.
Why did the capital of the Province of Canada move between several cities like Toronto, Quebec, and Montreal over a twenty-year period?
The government could not agree on a permanenet location.
What was the primary economic activity for the inhabitants of Rupert's Land in the mid-1800s?
Fur trade
Almost everyone in the region supported themselves through some aspect of the fur trade process. [ie. Hunting, trasporting, supplying]
Who made up the majority of the population in Rupert's Land in the 1850s?
First Nations and Metis
The vast territory was inhabited by aboriginal people who followed traditional patterns of life.
What geographic feature made water transportation difficult during the winter months?
Freezing rivers.
Water Transportation was seasonal.
What major infrastructure project helped end the Province of Canada's dependence on water transportation?
The Railway Boom
Railways provided a year round alternative to the seasonal canal system.
Which group of people in the Province of Canada during the 1850s typically held the most power in government decisions?
White, English or French speaking men who owned proprty.
Voting and running for office was restricted to wealthy men.
What triggered the sudden growth of Victoria's population from 500 to nearly 20 000 in 1858?
Discovery of GOLD on the Fraser River
The GOLD rush brought miners from around the world.
What motivated many settlers in New Brunswick to maintain a strong pro-British identity?
Their decent from loyalists.
The colony was home to thousands of people who left the US after the Revolution to keep ties to Britain.
What was a major risk in cities like Montréal and Toronto in the mid-1800s due to building materials?
Risk of fires.
Lumber was the main biulding material, and fires could quickly spread and destroy city blocks.
Which railway was the largest in the world by the time of Confederation in 1867?
The Grand Trunk Railway [GTR]
With over 2000 km of track!
Why did James Douglas negotiate the 'Douglas Treaties' on Vancouver Island?
To acquire First Nations land for settlements and mining.
Douglas wanted to secure land by offering clothing and money for the rights to settle and mine.
For First Nations and Métis people on the prairies, what animal was the center of social, political, and economic life?
The bison [Buffalo]
The buffalo provided food, clothing, shelter, tools, and trade.
What was the combined population of the Atlantic colonies by 1861?
790 000
How did the Métis buffalo hunt differ from the First Nations 'buffalo jump' tradition?
Metis used horses and rifles to shoot buffalo.
Unlike the traditional of scaring herds over a cliffs, the Metis rode alongside the buffalo and shot them.
What was a direct result of the lack of zoning laws in mid-19th century Canadian cities?
Workers lived right next to factories.
This caused rich countryside housing, and poor housing in noisy, dirty city blocks.
Which colony had a border dispute with the state of Maine that caused security concerns?
New Brunswick
The border had been in dispute since 1783. The tension worsened after the war of 1812.
Which city was the largest economic center in the Province of Canada during the 1850's?
Montreal
It was the hub for business, finance, and transportation.
Why did Queen Victoria choose Ottawa as the permanent capital in 1857?
It was a neutral location safe from American attack.
Ottawa was seen as a compromise that was further from the border and less likely to favour one culture over another.
What was a major consequence of overhunting the buffalo in the mid-1800s?
A decline in the traditional way of life for the First Nations and Metis.
The depletion of herds threatened the economic, social, and spiritual foundation of these communities.
What stimulated the growth of other Canadian industries like steel and coal?
It created a massive demand for rails, locomotives, and fuel.
Which private company was granted control over the vast territory of Rupert's Land in 1670?
The Hudson's Bay Company [HBC]
By 1866, what change occurred in the political status of British Columbia?
It merged with Vancouver Island
Two seperate areas combined into one colony for economic support.